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Preparing the bid

The major event bidding process is a rapidly evolving discipline.

This section contains a 'Four Step Guide to Bid Preparation' to assist people or entities acting as event instigators.

The material has been adapted from a SPARC (now Sport NZ) seminar. It comes from practitioners with extensive experience in the New Zealand event sector, is "tried and true" and applies specifically to the New Zealand market.

How to use the guide

The 'Four Step Guide to Bid Preparation' should not be treated as a rigid blueprint, and is not necessarily applicable in its entirety. It provides a menu, and its elements should be selected, adapted and implemented according to the nature of the event and the information required for the bid.

Critical success factors

These are the few things that must be focused on to ensure the outcome of the bid preparation is successful.

Establishing confidence levels with potential investors and partners is essential. They will be confident to walk with you if the vision, plan, budget and leadership are well reasoned and believable.

Establishing a clear vision allows people to understand why the event is important, why it is a great fit with them and what the benefits from investing in it will be.

Articulating possible benefits/value across a wide range of spheres is important as these are the 'hook-ups' to which organisations will initially gravitate and then possibly develop from their end.

Articulating the risks and mitigations in full will reduce nervousness and suspicion that unidentified downside might exist that could place the investment at risk.

Specifying the expert event knowledge/experience/leadership involved provides further confidence that the right people are in place to deliver on the vision.

Successfully focusing on and being able to articulate the critical success factors will help event instigators by: